CRH1047

Health, ecology and environmental change ( 6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL)

Leader: Ms Rebecca Jones

Offered:
Gippsland First semester 2006 (OCL)

Synopsis: Relationships between human health and anthropogenic physical environmental change are explored, with emphasis on global and regional environmental change and how this manifests at a local level in both individuals and populations, within rural and metropolitan contexts. The role of health professionals and policy makers is explored with students reflecting on their own personal viewpoints and practice as professional global citizens. Local and regional issues relevant to professional practice are placed in the larger global context. An ecological perspective of health is applied to a range of issues using multidisciplinary approaches including epidemiological and social models of health.

Objectives: On completion of this unit, students will be able to: 1. Discuss specific examples of direct and indirect effects of anthropogenic environmental change on human health; 2. Critically analyse processes of interaction between anthropogenic environmental change and human health at a local, regional and global level using ecological perspectives on health and the physical environment; 3. Examine the rural and urban contexts as factors influencing health effects of environmental change and understand differences between and within these contexts; 4. Critically analyse strategies for dealing with lack of evidence, conflicting evidence and uncertainty; 5. Reflect on the impact of studying this unit on your own professional practice and personal perspectives; and 6. Undertake an ecological analysis of a selected issue and develop recommendations that will help to improve practice.

Assessment: Case study analysis (1500 wds) 20% + Reflective essay (3000 wds) 40% + Discussion activities (2000 wds in total) 40% (4 activities x 10% each).